I. adjectiveEtymology: perhaps alteration of scrimpDate: 1775 skimpyII. verbDate: circa 1879 transitive verb to give insufficient or barely sufficient attention or effort to or funds for intransitive verb to save by or as if by skimping

(skimps, skimping, skimped) If you skimp on something, you use less time, money, or material for it than you really need, so that the result is not good enough. Many families must skimp on their food and other necessities just to meet the monthly rent.= scrimp VERB: V on n